A RED-PAINTED FAN-BACK WINDSOR SIDE CHAIR

Details
A RED-PAINTED FAN-BACK WINDSOR SIDE CHAIR
LANCASTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, 1760-1785

The serpentine crestrail with carved ears above seven tapering spindles flanked by baluster and ball-turned stiles over shaped plank seat, on baluster and cylinder-turned legs joined by a swelled H-stretcher, with blunt-arrow feet, the entire surface painted red (chip to one stile)--37in. high

Lot Essay

This chair represents one of the quintessential forms associated with Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and demonstrates how the Philadelphia fan-back form was interpreted by Pennsylvania-German craftsmen. The features which identify this chair as Lancaster County are the high-arching crestrail with deeply carved ears, the nearly vertical spindles which taper slightly at both ends, and the stiles turned with three compressed-balls, the bottom one of which rests directly on the seat. Another feature typical of Lancaster County is the distinctive under-carriage with cylinder and baluster-turned front legs terminating in blunt arrow feet and baluster-turned tapering back legs.

A related example is illustrated and discussed in Santore, p. 84, fig. 71.